Hence as he stood and admired himself in the mirror, the Duke had high confidence in Wickham’s information. When he was happy with the way his valet had dressed him, he made his way downstairs where Wickham and one of his guards were waiting for him. He nodded to the two and they led their master out of the inn for the short walk, but twenty yards distant to the assembly hall.
His plan this night was simple. He would ask to dance with three or four young ladies, the one Wickham had identified being one of them. He would say nothing of his plans this night. If she was the one he chose, he would summon the father to him in a day or two.
When they entered, all conversation ceased, as was his due, of course. It was only right these peasants should be awed in his presence. The Duke looked over the crowd disdainfully.
First, he saw the very pretty blonde. He looked to Wickham. “Sister to the one you want to know, she is the serene, compliant one,” Wickham said softly so only his master could hear. “The shorter one next to her.”
The Duke turned his attention to the petite one next to the blonde. She was in looks exactly as Wickham had described her. In an instant, he knew she would be the one. Rather than look away like her sister had, she lifted her chin and held his eyes with a challenging look.
“Welcome to our humble assembly, Your Grace,” Sir William simpered in welcome. “May I introduce you to my family and some of the principal families in the area?”
Hertfordshire was about to refuse when he noticed a matron, somewhat pretty still, summon—rather loudly—the two girls he had been looking at to her side. “Yes, I believe that will be in order,” the Duke granted.
Sir William, feeling the compliment of the Duke agreeing to meet his family very keenly was almost bouncing on the balls of his feet as he led His Grace to where his wife, sons, daughter, and three Bennets were standing.
“Your Grace, Lord Archibald Chamberlain it is my pleasure to present my wife, Lady Sarah Lucas, Miss Charlotte Lucas, Franklin and Johnathan Lucas to you.” Sir William was about to stop there when he saw the Duke’s pointed look at the Bennets. “Also Mrs. Frances Bennet, Miss Jane Bennet, and Miss Elizabeth. Family and Bennets, the Duke of Hertfordshire, Marquess of Hertford Heights.”
Fanny had to fight to maintain her equilibrium. She did not miss the way the Duke—a duke!—made sure Sir William introduced him to her and her daughters as well. Jane would be a duchess! She always knew Jane could not be so beautiful for no reason. She was destined to be the mother of a duchess. Thoughts of how she would be set up for life while lording that over Sarah Lucas were swimming in her head so she almost missed the Duke’s words.
“Mrs. Bennet if your husband does not object, may I have the honour of a set from you, and then from your pretty daughters, one each?” the Duke requested as he inclined his head to the matron.
Catching herself before objecting to Elizabeth being described as pretty, Fanny beamed at the Duke. “Why Your Grace, how you honour us. I accept for myself and my daughters. It is very gallant of you to include Lizzy as a dance partner when you have Jane’s beauty before you.”
Elizabeth blushed red at her mother’s thoughtless words. It was nothing she was not used to, but it was not usually before their friends in the middle of an assembly.
Sir William and Lady Lucas could not but be disappointed to be ignored by the Duke once he met the Bennets. Sarah Lucas was aware there would be no end to Fanny’s boasting about herself and her two eldest being asked to dance with a duke.
“Lizzy, I am sure Mama did not mean to slight you so,” Jane asserted once the Duke had led their preening mother to join the line currently forming.
“You think that if it gives you comfort,” Elizabeth bit back with a hard edge to her voice. She did not miss the way Jane’s face fell. “Sorry Janey, I did not mean to take my hurt out on you. One day you will have to start seeing the world as it is and not how you want it to be. Do not forget, I committed the cardinal sin of not being born a son.”
“But there were three more girls born after you, Eliza. Why is your mother’s displeasure directed at you?” Charlotte asked a question she had wanted to ask for many years.
“Somehow, in my mother’s way of thinking, because Irefusedto be born a son, it caused her to be cursed with onlygirls,” Elizabeth explained. “Of course, her inability to bear a child after Lyddie was my fault as well and had nothing to do with the fact she was born so huge.”
Jane was about to protest when she saw her sister’s arched eyebrow challenging her to dispute a word of what had been stated. Jane could not.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Your husband was not introduced to me,” the Duke observed as they danced.
“Mr. Bennet does not enjoy this kind of activity and is at home with our three younger girls,” Fanny averred.
“Five daughters, and no son?” the Duke pressed.
“Correct Your Grace,” Fanny conceded. “And we suffer from an entailment to the male line.”
‘Good information,’ Hertfordshire told himself. ‘If there is resistance, I may have some leverage.’ “What of dowries?” he asked aloud.
Fanny relayed the pertinent information to the man never considering how indecorous the conversation was with one newly met.
‘Another thing which may be useful,’ the Duke told himself.
The couple was separated by the dance. Fanny preened as she went down the line seeing the jealous looks on not a few of her neighbours’ faces. When she saw the sour look on Sarah Lucas’s face, her night became so much better.
“If you would like to dance two sets with my Jane and not with Lizzy, I will understand, Your Grace,” Fanny proposed when the dance brought them together.
“Madam, let me be rightly understood, it is me and me alone who will decide who I partner for a dance, and when!” the Duke barked.
